An audit examination revealed that nine tiger reserves ~ Manas, Peiyar, Tdoba-Andhari, Pench (Maharashtra), Melghat, Kanha, Pench (Madhya Pradesh), Bandhavgarh and Panna ~ did not provide training to their staff on regular or periodic basis, it said.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by BJP MP Gopinath Munde which tabled its report “Conservation and Protection of Tigers" in Parliament recently, has highlighted the pathetic state of affairs in conservation of the big cats in the country.
It noted that forest guards were not equipped with enough arms and ammunition required to combat poaching and illicit trade in 12 tiger reserves ~ Namdapha, Indravati, Bandipur, Melaghat, Tadoba-Andhari, Ranthambore, Sariska, Simlipal, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Manas and Sunderbans. “While arms were insufficient in some reserves, in others discrepancies or shortages in ammunition were noticed," the panel said. Though the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) envisages that states should adequately train personnel to man all positions right from Park Director down to forest guards, the actual situation was not upto the mark, it said.
For instance, in Manas Tiger Reserve, the training imparted to staff was inadequate as it did not cover the areas of field craft, obstacles crossing and unarmed combat. Read the full report here.
